The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-08-03
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1887.



ners and tanneries to furnish leather were
located all about. There is not a stream
or brook, scarcely, that is miles long, in
either these counties, but somewhere along
its banks stood a tannery. To make this
leather into shoes many there were who
worked at it, but none SO successful as
the apprenticed cordwaineT. The char
coal burner and iron worker, like Tubal-
Cain were here only beginners, mainly
making nails for houses and shoes for
horses. Their day was yet to come.
AS to carpenters and masons, there was
always work, but more of it after saw
mills came. There were mills for grind
ing flour, but as yet far away, and the
mode of reaching them was by horseback,
one man taking one or more horses, and
like the pack mules of the Spaniards
south, grain was put in long bags or wal
lets, and laid over the horses back.
The days for wheelwrights and wagon
roads was to them in the near future. On
horseback and with sled was traffic done.
A man going long journey as some men
did, it was not uncommon to take two
horses, and after riding miles take the
saddle from the horse then used, and put
1t on the back of the other, mount it and
in turn lead the resting horse. In those
days every one became expert in horse
riding. The side-saddle for women carly
came in use, and the mother would mount
fleet horse with her child and gracefully
ride away.
AS to wheels and wagons they were
forthcoming and the horse path changed
to a road bed. Wheels were made then
of large strong wooden felloes of white
oak, cut from the base of the trunk to the
root of the tree, SO that two felloes, each
being half, made a whole wheel, and were
fastened together by iron plates and bolts,
as whole wheel tires were then unknown.
For beasts of burden the OK and horse
were principally used. The sled and oxen
in clearing ground of wood and stone, and
horses for longer journeys and quicker
trips.
In visiting, the people over all this re-
gion were social and greeted each other
with marked respect and disposition in
all to become better acquainted and more
united.
Professional men in these days were
equal to the emergency. The land sur
veyor made his mark in laying off large
tracts with much exactness, and the sur
veyor and conveyancer of to. day, in small
er divisions, fall back on the original sur
vey.
The school teacher came early aud the
system of schools was everywhere encour-
aged, and as soon as population warranted
the school house was built, and the school
master, with rod in hand, taught the
young the idea how TO shoot.
The clergy were men of mind and had
much to do, and like all home mission
aries, looked after their people, and thu
founding Of their churches was the be
ginning of ouis to-day.
The gatherings at Buckingham. Make
field, Wrightstown and Falls of thu
Friends have gone on all these years. Tit
Presbyterians have not left off, nor thu
Reformed silenced into some other sect
Luther's men are still the same. Tit
Welshman's tongue is gone, but hi
church remains; and SO all these good ole
men, each in his own way, did what hi
could in his generation TO make his peo
pie better and theirs after them.
The physicians too had place, for PEG
pies ills and ails called forth for help
and he who could give it was sent fo
many miles away. The pills and powder
and pounded banks carried in saddle bag
bv day and night over all these hills b.
the good Samaritan was better known t
tho afflicted than to us.
To say the least Of an early consulta
ton of these men: Two strangers met
one lived in this county and the other
that; one was Of French descent and tn
other English. After a diagnosis wa
made the Frenchman says to the English
man, "What do you pronounce the alp
When the Englishman replied, 'If wer